She smiled at the affectionate way he “scolded” his horse. It was a tactic she sometimes used in her classroom.
“Anyway, we’ll get out of your hair.”
A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed closely by a rumble of thunder, and they both glanced toward the heavens as the horse clomped back a couple of anxious steps.
“I didn’t realize lightning and thunder could accompany snow,” Jemma said. “Or sleet or slush or whatever this is.”
Wyatt tipped his head toward the right, and she caught a glimpse of sandy-blond hair. “It’s the lake effect. We had an unseasonably warm day for winter, but then a cold front came in off the lake. Once they clash, you get crazy weather like this. I hope you’re prepared for lots of snow. This is just the beginning, and one of the milder storms at that.”
She wanted to say she’d dealt with snow before, but the fact of the matter was she’d never dealt with it very well. She didn’t like that it interfered with her preferred choice of footwear, or how the floors were always muddy. But it was regularly cleared by snowplows, and life went on. Still, something about his warning made her think about that “hazardous” part of an adventure.
Then again, judging by the pair on her porch, maybe it wouldn’t all be hazardous. “Would you like to come in for a bit? You could warm up and we could cha—”
“Sorry, I’ve got to get back. Nice meeting you,” he said, tipping his hat, but what she heard was I’m done talking to you.
He led the horse down the porch steps, and she closed the door.
A shiver racked her body, and she rushed back to the couch and wrapped herself with the discarded blanket. Like earlier when she’d heard the knock, she glanced at the door, and her mind conjured the image of the cowboy and his horse walking away.
She’d hoped for a slightly warmer welcome, both temperament and temperature-wise.
All her worries rose up again, and she told herself that she just needed to settle in, first into her cottage and her routine and, in two more days, into her new job.
Sure, maybe this adventure didn’t feel quite as fun without her usual copilot. But with any luck, there would be other people who’d take time to get to know her and chat.
Even if it clearly wouldn’t be the cowboy next door.
Read the book! Country Hearts is available now!
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a whole lot of heart. She began writing while juggling a successful career in finance and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm. Her many books include Christmas in Evergreen, the heartwarming companion novel to the Hallmark movie, and Christmas Joy and Hope for Christmas, which were adapted into Hallmark movies. Now happily retired from a career in the financial industry, she devotes her time to writing, horseback riding, and enjoying the occasional spa day. A Virginia girl at heart, Nancy now calls North Carolina home.
